Jadeveon Clowney shouldn't be here. He should be in the NFL, where grown men play this game. The South Carolina defensive end is this that good, and headlines the All-SEC team. But, he's not alone among the stars. Heisman winner Johnny Manziel, Alabama standout running back T.J. Yeldon and Arkansas defensive end Chris Smith are just as lethal. (AP Photos)

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QB: Johhny Manziel, Soph., Texas A&M

Johnny Manziel enters the season as the defending Heisman Trophy winner after carrying the Aggies to 11 victories. Can he top that performance? (LM Otero/AP)

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RB: Todd Gurley, Soph., Georgia

Todd Gurley may have been overshadowed by Alabama's Eddie Lacy last year, but this should be his season after posting 1,385 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2012. (John Bazemore/AP)

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RB: T.J. Yeldon, Soph., Alabama

T.J. Yeldon won't have to share the load this year. He's Alabama's featured back, and could emerge as one of the premier ballcarriers in the nation. (David J. Phillip/AP)

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OL: Jake Matthews, Senior, Texas A&M

The Aggies lost Outland Trophy winner Luke Joeckel to the NFL Draft, along with center Patrick Lewis. Jake Matthews opted to return for his senior year and moves from right tackle to left tackle. (Photo courtesy Texas A&M)

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OL: Gabe Jackson, Senior, Mississippi State

Mississippi State returns four starters on the offensive line and the best of the bunch is left guard Gabe Jackson, a load at 6-foot-4 and 335 pounds. (Stephen Morton/AP)

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OL: Anthony Steen, Senior, Alabama

On the watch list for the Outland Trophy, right guard Anthony Steen will help solidify an offensive line that has to make up for the loss of All-American tackle Barrett Jones. (Keith Srakocic/AP)

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OL: Cyrus Kouandjio, Junior, Alabama

Cyrus Kouandjio underwent minor shoulder surgery at the conclusion of spring practice. It's not expected to stop in any way a potentially dominant left tackle. He allowed just 3.5 sacks in 13 games last season. (Butch Dill/AP)

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OL: La'el Collins, Junior, LSU

La'el Collins, arguably the Tigers' best lineman, switches from left guard back to his old high school position, left tackle. Much of quarterback Zach Mettenberger's success will depend on how smooth the transition is for Collins. (Gerald Herbert/AP)

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TE: Arthur Lynch, Senior, Georgia

Named to the Mackey Award Watch List, senior Arthur Lynch is regarded as one of the nation's top 10 tight ends. He is coming off a 2012 campaign in which he caught 24 passes for 431 yards and three touchdowns. (John Raoux/AP)

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WR: Jordan Matthews, Senior, Vanderbilt

Jordan Matthews was a terror on opposing defenses last year when he racked up 1,323 passing yards and eight touchdowns. Unlike last year, Matthews won't be under the radar this time around. (Mark Humphrey/AP)

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WR: Amari Cooper, Soph., Alabama

Alabama has a ton of weapons, and among the most dangerous is receiver Amari Cooper. What he did as a freshman was outstanding. Now comes the hard part: avoiding a sophomore slump and re-establishing himself in Year 2. (Dave Martin/AP)

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DE: Jadeveon Clowney, Jr, South Carolina

Jadeveon Clowney says he can look in the eyes of opponents and tell they're afraid. Who can blame them? Clowney is as destructive as they come and gets another run at terrorizing quarterbacks before he heads to the NFL. (Bob Leverone/AP)

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DT: Anthony Johnson, Jr, LSU

They call him Anthony "Freak" Johnson for a reason. The defensive tackle had 30 tackles and three sacks last year and is the primary focus now after the departures of Barkevious Mingo, Sam Montgomery and Bennie Logan. (Rogelio V. Solis/AP)

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DT: Kelcy Quarles, Jr, South Carolina

Kelcy Quarles should in a big way build on what he did as a sophomore last season when he logged 38 tackles, including eight tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. Quarles is experienced, with 17 career starts, and his effectiveness only benefits Jadeveon Clowney on the outside. (Rich Glickstein/AP)

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DE: Chris Smith, Sr, Arkansas

Arkansas returns eight starters on defense, but that unit was shredded much of the year. A bright spot: standout DE Chris Smith. He and end Trey Flowers combined for 15.5 sacks last season. (April L. Brown/AP)

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LB: CJ Mosley, Sr, Alabama

All-SEC linebacker C.J. Mosley is back after piling up 107 tackles a year ago. He's productive and a game-changer, with 66 solo tackles for the Tide. (David J. Phillip/AP)

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LB: Trey DePriest, Jr, Alabama

The Alabama linebacker corps doesn't lack for anything, not with C.J. Mosley and Trey DePriest in play. DePriest, the middle linebacker, was second on the team with 56 tackles. He's also disruptive with his ability to break up pass plays. (Gerald Herbert/AP)

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LB: AJ Johnson, Jr, Tennessee

On a team riddled with question marks, the linebacker corps is the best unit Tennessee has going. And Johnson is the best of the best. Impressively enough, he led the SEC with 138 total tackles in 2012, but he also had 12 carries and a team-high six touchdowns in the Wildcat formation the Vols called "The Beast." (Rogelio V. Solis/AP)

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CB: Loucheiz Purifoy, Jr, Florida

Loucheiz Purifoy may the Gators best receiver, cornerback and special teams player. He'll play all three this year at various times, giving the Gators big-play ability on both sides of the ball. He led the team last year with 51 tackles, and also blocked two punts. (Butch Dill/AP)

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CB: Deshazor Everett, Jr, Texas A&M

Deshazor Everett's fourth-and-goal interception helped seal the Aggies' victory over Alabama last year. He could be on the verge of a big year, but an offseason arrest may lead to Everett getting off to a slow start. He played safety and cornerback last year, with two interceptions and 56 tackles. (Brandon Wade/AP)

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S: Craig Loston, Sr, LSU

A hard-hitting safety who'll be the leaders in LSU's secondary, Loston is a fifth-year senior with 35 career games under his belt. Loston picked off three passes last year and recorded 55 tackles. (Gerald Herbert/AP)

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S: Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Jr, Alabama

Ha Ha Clinton-Dix led the Tide with five interceptions last year when he started nine of 13 games. He totaled 30 tackles and now as a full-time starter, could emerge as one of the top defensive backs in the country because of his size (6-1, 208) and versatility. (John Bazemore/AP)

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P: Kyle Christy, Jr, Florida

All-SEC kicker Kyle Christy returns after leading the SEC with an average of 45.8 yards per punt. (John Raoux/AP)

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K: Carey Spear, Senior, Vanderbilt

Carey Spear is on the Lou Groza Award Watch List after completing the best season for a kicker in Vanderbilt history. He made 83.3 percent of his field goals and his 20 field goals set a single-season team record. He also handled extra points and kickoffs. (Mark Humphrey/AP)